Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to nets, and particularly, to those found in barrier or play environments, and relates more particularly, to shrink netting whereby the mesh of the net is capable of being made taught about a frame through the intermediary of a shrinkable net fiber which has a reduced length once wetted and dried.
It is often desirable to maintain a net mesh in a taught condition while it is held in place on a structure. For example, in the case of a barrier net used for constraining people from going past a given point, such as on a hazardous ledge or the like, it is desirable to maintain the person against movement beyond a given plane without allowing undesirable play in the netting to occur. Such play can only result in additional exposure to danger which otherwise would not occur if the net had remained taut.
Also, it is desirable in other environments, such as in a playscape, or the like, to provide a netting station which is firm to the grip and does not cause the net to be unstable when climbed. Additionally, in a playground environment, it is desirable to provide a mesh which is soft to the touch when climbed by children. That is, in the playground environment, although a net is made stable by virtue of its being shrunk taught about a frame such as disclosed in copending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/193,989, entitled, Shrink Net And System, which application being commonly owned by the present inventor, it is still desirable to provide a taught net which can be climbed by a child for example, without shoes and without worry about scratches from gripping an abrasive mesh such that holding of the rails and rungs of the net will not result in abrasion of the person's skin.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved shrinking net whereby the net is capable of being shrunk in size to allow pretensioning of the mesh on the frame yet provides a soft and easy to touch mesh for use by children.
It is still a further object of the invention to provide a netting of the aforementioned type wherein the tensioning of the net can be effected readily and without complication.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the appended claims and the following disclosure.